Kellington Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders recognise that the curriculum needs to improve.

They have started to review curriculum plans to ensure that pupils can build on what they know and can do. However, this work is not complete. Pupils struggle to remember important knowledge in some subjects.

Leaders and teachers do not check how well pupils are doing carefully enough. This means that sometimes pupils find work too easy or too hard.

Adults have high expectations for how pupils should treat one another.

Relationships between adults and pupils are positive. Pupils recognise that bullying can happen, but adults deal with it swiftly. Most pupils feel happy and safe.

However..., a small group of pupils can be disruptive. Leaders are working hard to support these pupils. Nevertheless, their behaviour can prevent other pupils from learning.

The members of the new leadership team are committed to helping the pupils 'SHINE'. Rewards are linked to the school's values and celebrated in assemblies. Leaders are aware that attendance and punctuality need to improve.

They have begun to introduce systems to encourage pupils to attend school. However, there is still work to do. Too many pupils miss vital learning because they do not attend school regularly enough.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have started to review curriculum plans. This work is at a very early stage. In some subjects, curriculum plans do not identify the most important things pupils must know.

This means that pupils could miss vital learning that helps them in future years. Plans for mathematics are well sequenced. However, teachers do not follow plans closely enough.

This prevents pupils from building on what they know and can do.

Curriculum leaders do not check subjects thoroughly. They do not check if curriculum plans are being used effectively.

As a result, they cannot identify exactly what needs to improve. Senior leaders have only recently put systems in place to check what pupils have learned. This means curriculum leaders do not have a good enough understanding of how well pupils are doing in their subjects.

Teachers do not use assessment purposefully. They do not know what pupils have learned. Sometimes work is too easy for pupils.

For others, work is too difficult. In some lessons, tasks are not well matched to what teachers want pupils to learn. This means pupils do not get enough time to practice important skills.

Teachers do not address misconceptions or gaps in pupils' knowledge. In some subjects, pupils in different year groups learn similar things. As a result, pupils do not get the opportunity to build on what they know and can do as they move through a key stage.

The leader for early years has a good understanding of the early years curriculum. Sometimes, children do not persevere with activities. In writing activities, the way children form letters is not corrected.

This means pupils move into year 1 without the writing skills they need. Children start to read as soon as they start school. Leaders have ensured that adults have the training they need to teach children to read.

It is clear which sounds pupils should know as they move through the school. Teachers check that pupils are keeping up. However, these checks are not always accurate, and some pupils struggle to join in reading lessons.

This means that some pupils do not keep up with the school's reading programme.

Leaders are careful to promote equal opportunities. Assemblies celebrate the efforts pupils make.

There are a small number of school clubs that are well attended. Opportunities to learn about different cultures and beliefs are limited. Leaders recognise this.

They are reviewing curriculum plans to provide pupils with opportunities to learn about different cultures.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive effective support. They have detailed plans that outline the targeted support they should receive.

This supports pupils with additional needs to access similar learning to other pupils. The special educational needs coordinator (SENDCo) works effectively with external agencies to access additional provision where this is needed.

The new principal has accurately identified what needs to improve.

She recognises that attendance needs to improve. Leaders have begun to introduce approaches to encourage pupils to attend school. However, these approaches have not had time to improve attendance.

Leaders are ambitious for the school. They are determined to provide pupils with opportunities to succeed. Staff welcome the support they receive and are positive about the actions leaders have taken to make improvements.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders carry out detailed checks to ensure that staff are suitable to work with pupils and children. Senior leaders ensure that all staff receive regular training in safeguarding.

Safeguarding updates are shared regularly. All staff are clear about who they should talk to should they have any concerns about pupils' safety.

Adults know how to identify signs that would indicate pupils may be at risk.

There are clear systems for reporting any concerns. Leaders provide staff with training to ensure that safeguarding incidents are recorded accurately. Pupils talk confidently about what they learn about online safety.

Pupils say that if they are concerned, they can talk to adults, who will listen and take action to help them.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Curriculum plans are not well sequenced. Leaders have not carefully considered what pupils need to learn in each subject.

As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Curriculum leaders should consider the precise knowledge they want pupils to learn, and in what order, so that pupils can successfully build on what they already know. ? Curriculum leaders do not carry out thorough checks to see how well the curriculum is being delivered.

Assessment systems to check what pupils know and can remember are not embedded. As a result, leaders are unclear on how well pupils are learning the intended curriculum. Senior leaders should support subject leaders to use effective systems to check what pupils know and remember, and what they can do.

• Sometimes, the work pupils receive is not well matched to their needs. Indeed, there are times when all the pupils in a key stage carry out the same tasks. Teachers should use purposeful assessment tasks to carefully check what pupils know and remember before using this information to deliver learning that is well matched to pupils' needs.

• Pupils' attendance is low. As a result, some pupils miss important opportunities to learn. Leaders should continue to develop the steps they have taken to improve attendance so that fewer pupils miss important learning.